Fuse holder



Patented June 3, 1941 FUSE HOLDER Charles H. Fenske, Jr., Los Angeles,Lewis E.

Massiavenioe, and FrankLlhrringtonJngle- Aircraft Comwood, Califassignors to Douglas pany, Incorporated, Santa Monica, Calif.

Application April 24, 1939, Serial No. 269,674

18 Claims.

Our invention is a fuse holder and is more particularly a device forcarrying a spare fuse which also serves as a handle for inserting andremoving fuses in fuse clips.

Conventional electrical systems are provided with fuses for preventingthe overloading of the various electrical circuits included therein.Fuses for use in automotive electrical systems are ordinarily smallcylindrical cartridges having a diameter of the order of one quarterinch and provided with metal tips for establishing electrical contactand insulated central portions. When placed in the electrical circuitthe metal tips are forced into a pair of spring metal clips which gripthem tightly.

The clips are frequently placed in relatively inaccessible locations andit is somewhat difficult to secure the fuses in position. The centralinsulated portion is gripped in the fingers and frequently the clips areso close together that the fingers touch both clips and a shock isreceived.

One of the objects of the invention is to provide a cheap, durable andsatisfactory device which will serve as an insulated handle forinserting and removing fuses.

In automotive vehicles it is desirable to carry spare fuses to replacethe active fuses when they burn out. Fuses of several differentcapacities are frequently used in the different circuits. If the sparefuses are all carried in one box or on a separate spare fuse panel it isnecessary to examine the burnt out fuse, determine its capacity, andselect a similar fuse from the general supply for replacement. This isinconvenient and time consuming and in-an emergency the wrong capacityfuse may be selected with the result that a circuit may be burned outthrough lack of adequate fuse protection.

-It is accordingly a further object of the invention to provide aconvenient and dependable spare fuse holder which will hold a spare fusein a convenient location and which will keep a service fuse and anequivalent spare fuse together to avoid error in replacement.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a device which willhold a plurality of fuses together but insulated from each other andwill provide for immediate visual inspection of all such fuses todetermine their condition.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a fuse holder whichhas indicating means to distinguish the service fuse from the spare fuseat a glance.

Other and further objects of the invention will become apparent as thedescription proceeds.

All the objects mentioned above are accomplished by the fuse holderdescribed below and illustrated in the accompanying drawing in which:

Figure l is an isometric view showing our novel fuse holder in use, onefuse being engaged with the clips of an electrical circuit and anotherfuse being carried in reserve;

Figure 2 is an elevational view showing the construction of the fuseholder with passages or openings therethrough, and with one end coloredto serve as an indicating means;

Figure 3 is an isometric view showing a modifled form of our fuseholder;

Figure 4 is an elevational view showing a further modified form;

Figure 5 is an elevational view showing a form of holder with dissimilarends for indicating Figure 6 is an elevational view showing anothermodiflcation; and,

Figure '7 is an elevational view showing still another modification.

Our novel fuse holder is shown in use in Figure 1, in which a panel P isprovided with conventional fuse clips C which are connected to anelectrical circuit. The fuse holder itself is made in the form of ablock ll having holes I! for the insertion of fuses l6, and holes Iarranged at an angle to and intersecting the holes II The block I0 ismade of a material which is substantially a non-conductor ofelectricity. The material is preferably resilient, such as rubber,Neoprene or the like, although it may also be Bakelite, or any syntheticresin.

Holes I! are formed with a diameter slightly less than that of astandard fuse so that the fuses when inserted, will stretch the holesand be tightly gripped in place. The block II is of such dimensions thatthe metal tips of a fuse will protrude at either side when carried bythe holder and will be adapted to contact with clips C. The holes ll arepreferably formed at right angles to holes I! and intersect them. Theyserve as windows through which the central portion of the fuse may beviewed to determine whether or not it is burned out.

The fuse holder of our invention is cheap and durable and serves severaluseful purposes. The small amount of rubber or other material used isvery inexpensive. It is almost impossible to break it or wear it out andconsequently it will last indefinitely.

The type of fuse for which our holder is pri marlly designed is heldquite close to panel 1? when clipped in place. The central portion,usually of glass, is only about one quarter inch in diameter. Thiscombination of circumstances makes it diflicult to grasp and extract thefuse with the fingers, particularly in warm weather when the hands aremoist. If the fingers con= tact.both of the fuse clips it is possible toreceive an unpleasant shock or burn. Our fuse holder serves as a handleof sufilcient size to be readily grasped and its insulating qualitiesavoid all danger of shock.

The holder serves the added purpose of providing a storage place for aspare fuse. While supports for spare fuses are well known we are notaware of any which carry the spare fuse immediately adjacent to theservice fuse. Two identical fuses can be carried in the same holder andan exchange can be made immediately in an emergency without thenecessity of checking capacities or the danger of error in selection.

The holder is provided with novel indicating means which may takevarious forms. Figure 1, for instance, shows the use of raised or sunkennumerals on the ends of the block. Number 2 indicates that the sparefuse is still available. When the holder is reversed, the number I] onthe opposite end will be in sight and will give warning that the servicefuse is blown and should be replaced. The holders should be inspected inevery routine check.

The indicating means may take any one of several forms. For instance, inFigure 2 one end of the holder is given a distinctive color, such asred, and in Figure 5 one end of holder is bevelled or rounded off tomake it dissimilar in shape to the other end. end is used to carry theservice fuse and will, of course, be visible when the spare fuse is inuse.

It will be obvious to. anyone skilled in the art that the holder may bemade longer and provided with additional holes to carry several sparefuses if desired.

The principles of the invention may be employed in a variety of forms.Figure 2 shows a block having a substantially rectangular cross-section,and having one end distinctively colored, as at 28.

Figure 3 shows a substantially cylindrical holder 30, having the usualholes t2 and it for holding and viewing. the fuses.

In Figure 4, the holder 40 may be rectangular or any other'shape incross-section and has a relatively slender central portion 42 withenlarged ends .44, making it generally I shaped in elevation.

The holder of Figure 5 is of any desired cross sectional shape and hasone end 56 substantially squared off while the other end is beveled orrounded off, as at 58, to give it a distinctive shape toserveas anindicating means.

The form shown in Figure 6 makes insertion and removal of fuses from theholder somewhat easier. The holder 60 is provided with fuse holdingpassages l2, l2 which are connected by a narrow slit 68. This allows theholes i2 to spread readily for insertion of the fuses.

The form shown in Figure l is particularly desirable where the holder ismade of Bakelite or other materials which are considerably stiffer Withthese forms the distinctivethan soft rubber. The body 10 is providedwith fuse receiving holes l2, and narrow slits 18 extend from each holeto the outer surface of the block so that the holes may be sprungslightly mamrial. Molding is considered to be preferable iior massproduction.

While we have described our invention in detail in its present preferredembodiment, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art afterunderstanding our invention that various changes and modifications maybe made therein without departing from the spirit or scope thereof. Weaim in the appended claims to cover all such modifications and changes.

We claim:

1. A fuse holder comprising a block of resilient material substantiallyrectangular in cross section and substantially rectangular in plan,means forming a plurality of passages through said block substantiallyparallel to each other and substantially normal to the longitudinal axisof the block and means forming a plurality of passages extending throughsaid block in a direction substantially normal to the axes of said firstopenings and to the longitudinalaxis of said block, each one of saidsecond named passages intersecting respectively one of said firstpassages, said first named passages serving as retainers for fuses andsaid second named passages serving as windows to view the condition ofthe fuses.

2. A fuse holder comprising a unitary block of resilient material, aplurality of passageways through said block adapted to receive andretain fuses and a plurality of passageways intersecting said firstpassageways and serving as windows to view the condition of the fuses.

3. A fuse holder comprising a block of flexible material having anopening formed therethrough and spaced from one end to receive andretain a fuse and having a second opening formed therethrough, also ifseed from said end and extending at an angle to and intersecting saidfirst opening and adapted to serve as a window to view the centerportion of the fuse.

4. A fuse holder comprising an elongated block, a plurality of openingsformed therethrough at an angle to the longitudinal axis thereof andadapted to receive fuses, and at least one opening formed through saidblock and in tersecting said first named openings to expose the centersof said fuses to view.

5. A fuse holder comprising a block of insulating material, a pluralityof openings being formed therein to receive and retain fuses, said blockbeing symmetrical in other respects but having means on one end thereofadapted to serve as a signal to distinguish one end from the other.

6. A fuse holder comprising a block of rubber having openings formedtherein at substantially right angles to its longitudinal axis, saidopenings being adapted to receive and retain fuses and having a diameterless than that of the fuses in order to grip them tightly.

7. A fuse holder comprising a block of flexible material having anopening formed therein for receiving a fuse, said Opening being of'adiameter less than that of the fuse in order to grip it firmly, saidblock having a second opening formed therein and spaced from the endsthereof and intersecting said first opening.

8. A fuse holder comprising a blocking of suiating material providedwith meme end for holding a fuse and with motherendadaptedtoserveasasilnal ting'uish one end from the other saidblock being otherwise substantially symmetrical.

9. A fuse holder comprising a block of nonconducting material havingmeans formed near each end for gripping a fuse, the two ends of saidblock being dissimilar in form to serve as a means to distinguish saidends.

10. A fuse holder comprising an elongated block having means formed neareach end for gripping a fuse, one end having a distinctive color toserve as a means to distinguish between the ends.

ii. A fuse holder comprising an elongated block having openingstherethroughnear each end and substantially parallel to each other andat an angle to the longitudinal axis of the block and meansforming anarrow slit extending between saidopenings.

12. A fuse holder comprising an elongated in atone atthe, todisblock ofresilient material, means forming a plurality of passages through saidblock substantially normal to the longitudinal axis of said block, andmeans forming a plurality of passages through said block at angles tothe longitudinal axes of said block and said first named openings andintersecting said first named openings, some of said openings serving toreceive and retain standard types of cartridge fuses and others of saidopenings serving as windows to view the condition of said fuses.

13. A fuse holder comprising a unitary block of material, means forminga first pair of openings passing through said block and adapted toreceive and retain standard types of cartridge fuses, and means forminga second pair of openings in said block intersecting said first openingsand adapted to serve as windows to view the condition of fuses carriedin said first openings.

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